The Boy Next Door
by NiyahJem
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia has had a crush on Natsu Dragneel since childhood, they have been the best of friends ten years to be exact. Natsu only sees Lucy as a friend just the girl next door, when Lucy moves away to Hargeon for two years Natsu's world gets turned upside down. Her return back to Magnolia puts Natsu's feelings in a twist and he realizes some feelings he never knew he had NALU
1. Prologue

L**ucy**

It all started when I was five years old, I had been living in Magnolia my whole life and my first day of kindergarten would be soon. I was especially shy as a child looking back I think it had to do with the death of my mother Layla Heartfillia, my father had always singled me out and never really paid too much attention to me but my mother would sit me on her lap and stroke my blonde hair while humming sweet tunes, with her there were no words needed to be said the silence was enough.

The day she died was a day I would grow hatred towards her murderer

it took her at the age of thirty-five still young and still dreaming, sometimes I still daydream about the talks and moments we shared. However, the particular moment that surprisingly brought joy to my life was on a Friday, it was the last weekday of summer I was sitting on the couch in my living room reading a book when all of a sudden a moving van appeared in the driveway of the neighboring house. And that's when I saw

, Natsu Dragneel had spiky pink hair (oddly enough five-year-old Lucy Heartfilia thought this was normal) emerald green eyes, and on that particular day, he was wearing a long-sleeved red shirt matched with yellow shorts. I'm not sure why but I had to befriend him just not today…

_**Natsu**_

Out of all the new and weird experiences of moving to Magnolia, I'll never forget the day I met Lucy. It was Saturday the day after we arrived and to keep me from messing with the boxes Igneel sent me outside to play. Just as I opened the door a girl was standing there about to knock on the door, she had short blonde hair and these orb-like brown eyes. "Hi.." she croaked looking shy and nervous "I'm Natsu!" I introduced myself to her just like Igneel and I practiced(making sure to add the smile). She looked up at me with her huge chocolate eyes and replied with: "I'm Lucy". I grabbed her hand and went running down the block. "H-hey what do you think you're doing!?"Lucy yells at me as I drag her along with me to destination nowhere. It's not like I know my way around this neighborhood. I turn back to her still running "Let's be friends!", her eyes sparkle to my statement and I take her silence as a yes as we continue to run to who knows where. That's the day Lucy Heartfilia and I became best friends.


	2. Lucy's unrequited love

_**Lucy**_

I confessed to Natsu. "I like you to Luce, I always have", he said while leaning in a bit close. I also leaned in puckering my lips. And then I woke up, "UUUGGGHHH" I screamed into my pillow muffling the scream, I got out of bed and started heading to the bathroom only to see Plue my pet Yorkie standing guard in front of my door " Plue what am I going to do with you?", I asked him while picking him up only to put him down while I made my way to my bathroom. After I stripped my pajamas off and I stepped into the shower letting the water run through my tangled blond hair.

"Shit", I left my clothes in my room. I threw on a towel and then walked out of the bathroom heading towards my room, I looked onto my bed expecting to see my clothes.

"Hiya Luce!", Natsu said sitting on my bed wearing that stupid grin he always has on.

"AAAAAAAAAA, NATSU WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!", I jumped back and fell on the floor and then my towel blew off.

_**Natsu**_

Lucy and I have known each other since we were five years old so her dad Jude kinda just lets me in whenever I knock on the door. I ran up into her room and sat on her bed waiting for her to get out of the shower she always takes forever in there. "Hey Plue, are you waiting for Lucy to get out of the shower too?" I asked her little white Yorkie. Plue got up and sat on my lap as a response Happy's gonna be jealous, I thought. Then my sharp hearing picked up the click of the bathroom door. Finally, she's done in there.

"Hiya Luce!", I called out to her she was in a white towel indicating she just got out of the shower and I have to add it was just a little too small for comfort. And then she started screaming at me

"AAAAAAAAAA, NATSU WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" she leaped back and then fell on the ground making her towel fall off. I'm not gonna lie I was blushing a little bit but I mean who wouldn't be Lucy had the best figure in school.., I shoved down my pervy thoughts to prevent my cheeks from heating up any further, Lucy's my best friend and it's unfair to her if I think of her in that way, besides I just found out Lisanna one of the prettiest girls in the whole seventh grade was interested in me I don't know what she sees in me but if she sees anything I'm willing to take the chance to be with her. "Here ya go", I tossed Lucy her outfit from off of her bed, "But don't take long I want to stop by the treehouse before we go to school". Lucy responded with "As if I'd be late to one of our super-duper important treehouse meetings, now shoo so I can get dressed!" she yelled from behind her door yup she's definitely still naked. I climbed out from her window and used the makeshift zipline (we made it when we were eight along with our treehouse) that leads straight to our treehouse, as I waited for Lucy to get dressed.

_**Lucy**_

Natsu really was an idiot! Does he even know how embarrassing that was for me? I sighed, why would he think anything about that? The closest thing he saw me as was a little sister, and the worst thing is I'm never going to be able to tell him how I really feel. My father had entered me in a beauty pageant for the title **"Little Ms. Conspicuous**" which at age 13 I don't want to do but pageants were one of the main things my mother used to enjoy before she passed away so in her honor I didn't really see anything wrong with joining a silly pageant. The catch though (because there's always a catch in my life) is that the pageant is taking place in Hargeon (I live in Magnolia meaning I have to move there temporarily for two whole years! My father, of course, is going to stay in Magnolia and watch over the house and his business Heartfilia & Co. So I'm going to be staying with my Godmother Virgo whom I love veryyy much. And to top it all off I haven't told Natsu about any of this even though I'll be leaving next week Monday, I shook my head I need to get this off my mind, I zipped up my skirt and looked in my mirror I don't look half bad I had a tight blue vest-like shirt with white trimming a white skirt with a belt topped off with my favorite thigh-high boots, My hair was in a side ponytail with one of my blue bows covering my hair tie. Then I hopped out of the window and gripped onto the zipline bar I don't know if it's the feeling of gliding through the air that gave me the confidence but I clearly wasn't in my right mind when I thought today is the day I tell Natsu the way I feel before It's too late! Little did I know that decision would make my life much harder in the long run.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ : *. .* : ﾟ. ───

"Okay Natsu what did you want to meet up in the O' sacred treehouse for?", I said in a teasing tone. "Nothing really just wanted to spend some time with you" my heart throbbed, he quickly added "Before we have to go to that hellhole disguised as a school" my heart sunk a little of course just for school. "Well we better head off", he pointed out "Yeah I guess you're right," I said as we started to get out of the treehouse and start walking to school.


End file.
